The real reason I do craft (is to get the gossip)

The world has turned in the last year as Miss Fruitarian ventures forth into the playground and the world of alliances, secrets and boys.

It’s hard to keep up. Last week you had to take sandwiches for lunch, one ponytail only and white socks. Last month it was green stockings, two piggytails and plain pasta in the lunchbox.

Miss F slaves dutifully to the trends and I am starting to dread the teenage years when all of the peer pressure starts to impact in more truly existential ways.

Figuring that good communication comes from years of habit, I’ve instigated a couple of new strategies aimed at keeping our relationship strong. We go to the library every 3 weeks after school. Choose books; read a couple then take tea at the library café. She gets to choose whatever gluggy cake takes her fancy and I latte away. These affairs are nice, but not entirely successful. They tend to go like this

Me “Who are you playing with at the moment?”
Her “Same.”
Me “How are you enjoying the games you’re playing with the girls?”
Her “Good.”

You get the idea.

More successful is the impromptu sitting at the dining table, attention wholly on her, with glue sticks, scissors and bits of paper. There is no eye contact; we are too intent on our creation. We chat about colours, how many shades of pink exist in the world etc. Then, from time to time after a little pause, I get little gems out of her like “do you know… Georgia has a boyfriend!”.